The food chain depicts how different organisms depend on other organisms. It is the pathway of matter and energy in the form of energy from organism to organism.
Every living organism in the ecosystem is part of a different food chain. All these multiple food chains are interconnected and make the food web. Learn more about Types of ecosystems.
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All the Organisms in the Ecosystem are Categorized into Groups which are also known as trophic levels, Namely
- Producers(1 tropic level or Autotropic)
- Consumers(Second, third, and fourth tropic level)
- Decomposers
In the given figure, we can see that grass makes its food from sunlight. The grasshopper consumes grass which is known as the primary consumer. The frog eats the grasshopper then the frog is eaten by the snake. Hawk(Apex predator) eats snake then remains of hawk is consumed by the bacteria and fungi and convert into rich soil nutrient.
Producers
Producers are also known as Autotrophs. They are considered as the primary level of every food chain because they make their own food. Plants and unicellular organisms are generally Autotrophs.
Photosynthesis is the primary source to create food from sunlight among all autotrophs. Algae, Phytoplankton, etc., are the primary examples of producers.
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Consumers
Consumers are the second tropic level organism that depends on producers. They are also called primary consumers or herbivorous. Cow, deer, turtles, and other living organisms which get their food from producers are called primary consumers.
Now, those who eat and depend on primary consumers are known as secondary consumers. This cycle continues until the top predator, also known apex predator, eats the other consumers.
Secondary consumers can be anything(carnivorous or omnivorous). Animals who eat other animal flesh are carnivorous. Those who eat both plants and animals are omnivorous. Humans are also omnivorous. They eat plants like vegetables, fruits, etc., and consume animal products like meat, eggs, milk, etc.
Decomposers
Decomposers are the last part of the food chain. Fungi and bacteria are the ones who end the food chain by consuming the remains of animals. They convert the animal decay into inorganic waste, rich in soil nutrients, and help restart the food chain again. Students can refer to Our environment of class 10 to learn more about food chain.
Animal Digestive System
The animal digestive system is classified based on the stomach of animals.
- Monogastric animals who have a simple stomach
- Ruminant(cranial fermentor) animals who have multi-compartmented stomachs.
- Hindgut(caudal) fermentor animals with a simple stomach but huge and complex large intestine.
Monogastric Digestive System
Monogastric animals have a single-chambered stomach, which requires high-quality concentrated food to digest. This type of digestive system cannot digest a high amount of fiber.
Dogs, Cats, Pigs, Humans, etc., are examples of the Monogastric Digestive System.
Parts of the Digestive System
- Mouth
- Esophagus
- Stomach
- Small Intestine
- Large Intestine
Ruminant(cranial fermentor)
Ruminant(cranial fermentor) animals have a complex digestive system. This type of digestive system is capable of digesting food of high fiber concentration. They use microbial fermentation to digest the food.
Cattle, Sheep, Goats, cows, etc., are examples of the Ruminant digestive system.
Parts of the Digestive System
- Mouth
- Esophagus
- Reticulum
- Omasum
- Abomasum
- Rumen
- Intestine
Hindgut(caudal) fermentor
Hindgut(caudal) fermentor digestive system is found in the monogastric herbivorous animal. These types of animals consist of a single-chambered stomach.
The hindgut or epigastric is the caudal part of the alimentary canal. They have large and complex intestines compared to the foregut or midgut fermenter.
Parts of the Digestive System
- Buccal Cavity
- Pharynx
- Oesophagus
- Stomach
- Small intestine
- Caecum
- Large Colon
- Small Colon
- Rectum
- Anus
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
Q1- What is food chain order?
Ans. The food chain sequence is Sun, Primary Producers, Primary Consumers, Secondary Consumers, and Tertiary Consumers.
Q2. What are the three examples of a food chain?
Ans- The three examples of the food chains are
- Grass-Deer-Tiger-Vulture
- Grass-Chicken-Man-Maggot
- Dandelions-Snail-Frog-Bird-Fox
Q3. How many types of digestive systems are there in animals?
Ans- The animal digestive system is classified based on the stomach of animals.
- Monogastric digestive system
- Ruminant(cranial fermentor) digestive system
- Hindgut(caudal) fermentor digestive system
Q4. How many stomach cow has?
Ans- The cow has four stomach
